


The Prince and the Pourer

by Shi_Toyu



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Royalty, BAMF Edwin Jarvis, Bartender Bucky, Bartenders, Blow Jobs, Bottom Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes Feels, Dirty Talk, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Modern Royalty, Mostly just comfort, New York City, One Night Stands, Prince Tony Stark, Protective Happy, Queen Maria Stark, Riding, Royalty, Smut, Soulmates, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric, Tony is 20, Top Bucky Barnes, Tourism, Underage Drinking, Young Tony Stark, barely, implied soulmates, kinda sorta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:07:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21561943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/pseuds/Shi_Toyu
Summary: Crowned Prince Antoni Edoardo Stark Carbonell is in New York City for the first time ever, the city where his father was born. Howard Stark and Queen Maria Carbonell's romance had been legendary, up until Howard's untimely death. Growing up on stories of their love, Antoni had always wished for a connection like that for himself... and once Antoni meets a certain dark-haired bartender, he might just have a chance.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 63
Kudos: 570
Collections: MHEA Holiday Movie Challenge 2019





	The Prince and the Pourer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [betheflame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/betheflame/gifts).



> For the wonderful and amazing betheflame! This commission came at the perfect time and I will forever be grateful. I hope this is everything you could have wanted for it, dear!
> 
> Big thanks also to LiquidPlasma over on Discord for helping me out with the betaing on this one. My brain just kind of shuts down when editing longer pieces. XD

To say that Crowned Prince Antoni Edoardo Stark Carbonell had been raised in the lap of luxury would be putting it lightly. Theirs was not a large nation, but the island chain of Ferronia, off the coast of Italy, was one of the wealthiest. His family had ruled for generations and it had a thriving trade in several industries – precious gems and some of the finest whiskey in the world, to name two of the biggest. Anything that could be bought had been laid at the prince’s feet since the day he’d been born. His mother, Queen Maria, had doted on him unrepentantly even before his father’s passing when he was just three years old and more unabashedly so after. The only thing she would not allow was for him to travel too far outside of their country’s borders – and ‘too far’ was usually an arbitrary distance that varied based on the Queen’s mood.

Howard, Antoni’s father, had been a successful businessman and an American by birth, who’d constantly traveled to meet clients and investors. He’d met Antoni’s mother when they were both attending the same political summit in Switzerland and, as Antoni had always been told, they’d both known in an instant that they belonged together. They’d courted for an almost scandalously short time before getting married and Howard had moved to Ferronia.

After their honeymoon, he continued to travel around the world on his business trips. Queen Maria accompanied him when able, which they both preferred, but was often too busy with the affairs of ruling to be with him all the time. It’d been on one such solo business trip that Howard’s plane had malfunctioned, and he’d crashed into the ocean. Queen Maria hadn’t set foot on a plane, or allowed her son to, ever since. If they ever _did_ need to leave the island, it was by boat.

With Antoni’s twenty-first birthday just six months away, though – and, with it, his ascension to the throne of Ferronia – he’d bid his mother’s blessing to take what might be his last opportunity to travel without the restrictions of Kinghood. Luckily, he knew what would appeal to his mother more than anything else.

“I want to see it,” he’d pleaded with her in the Italian that was their native tongue. “I want to see New York. I want to experience the land Dad came from, even just once.”

It’d taken some doing, but Queen Maria had finally relented on the condition that Antoni would not fly there and he absolutely must be back in time for the ceremony in which he would accept his role as King and take the throne of their nation. Not wanting to give her a chance to change her mind, Antoni had immediately jumped to make the arrangements. Or, at least had jumped to asking Pepper to make the arrangements. Two months later, on a crisp, February morning, he’d stepped off the chartered vessel and onto the docks of New York City’s ports.

It was _incredible_. Ferronia didn’t have skyscrapers. Hell, most of their buildings dated back at least a hundred years, and many of them more than that. Antoni had seen pictures, of course, but that was nothing compared to seeing the towering buildings in person. And there was so much noise! There was hustle and bustle of people everywhere, and Antoni couldn’t help but stare in wonder, a giant grin spreading across his face. Somehow, it hadn’t seemed real that he might actually _be here_ until that moment. Now it was real! He was really in New York City, the place where his dad had been born and-

“ _Principe Antoni!_ ”

A horn blared at the same moment that Happy, the head of Antoni’s security detail tackled him, knocking him out of the way just in time for a motorcycle to roar past. Antoni only caught a glimpse of long, brunet hair and a silvery hand giving him the finger before the motorcycle, and its rider, were gone. Then all he could see was Happy, expression worried and big hands patting him down in search of injury.

“Your Highness, you have to be more careful!” he scolded in brusque Italian. “You could have been run over!”

“I’m fine, Happy,” Antoni protested, batting the hands away and climbing to his feet. “What was that asshole doing tearing down the pier anyway? I thought vehicles weren’t allowed on here without a permit!”

They’d had to get one for the limo that was picking them up, after all. Apparently finally convinced that Antoni wasn’t about to bleed out in front of him, Happy shifted his focus to frowning in the direction the motorcyclist had disappeared in.

“I dunno. Maybe he has one. I will definitely be having a conversation with the management around here about it, though. The dock supervisor is going to get a piece of my mind! You can bet on that, boss.”

Antoni huffed in agreement before attempting to pat the dirt off his suit.

“I have to admit, I didn’t expect New York to be quite so _dirty_ ,” he admitted. “Oh, damn! My suit is ripped!”

Right along the shoulder seam; though it was undoubtedly the result of Happy’s tackle, Antoni decided he was more than willing to blame it on the reckless biker anyway.

“Not to worry, Your Highness,” Jarvis, his valet, spoke up as he approached. “I do believe we will have just enough time for you to stop by the arranged hotel and change before Mr. Stane will be expecting you to make an appearance. I’ll see what I can do about finding a tailor to mend it, as well.”

Antoni smiled, the tension in his shoulders immediately easing in the calm, unflappable presence of the man who’d practically raised him.

“You’re the best, J. What would I do without you?”

“Perish the thought, Your Highness. Perish the thought.”

.

Obadiah Stane had been Howard Stark’s business partner before his death and was now the company’s sole owner. He’d kept in touch with the royal family over the years, even stopped by for the occasional visit, and had been more than happy to volunteer to show Antoni the city during his stay. Antoni had been excited by the prospect of seeing New York through a local’s eyes, and one who’d known his dad personally to boot! Obadiah had always been willing to share stories about his dad during his visits, after all. They’d been friends as well as partners.

Now, just a week into his month-long visit, Antoni was seriously regretting his decision.

It wasn’t that Obadiah wasn’t perfectly nice. It was just… well, he’d clearly been thinking this was supposed to be a business or political trip. While they’d been out to lunches and dinners a plenty, they’d all been with Obadiah’s high society contacts, rubbing shoulders and pushing their own agendas. Meetings filled their days, Antoni smiling and shaking hands like he was on a trip to represent Ferronia at the United Nations. In fact, he’d had several meetings already with people he knew _from_ the United Nations. The only remotely touristy thing they’d done was see a Broadway musical and Antoni hadn’t even been able to enjoy it because the businessman he’d been sitting next to, a Justin Hammer, hadn’t stopped talking the _entire time_.

The worst part was that Obadiah seemed so pleased with the whole thing. He kept talking about how proud ‘Old Howie’ would have been to see the young man his son had grown up to be, how much Antoni reminded Obadiah of his dad. Antoni hated the idea of disappointing him by telling him that he wasn’t enjoying himself at all. But, well, he wasn’t enjoying himself at all. It didn’t help that his evenings were spent all but locked up in his hotel room, Happy and his team keeping careful watch. Antoni honestly wasn’t sure who was more paranoid about something happening to him, Happy or Antoni’s mom. Both seemed convinced he’d wind up dead in a back alley if his security detail didn’t have eyes on him at all times. It was driving him crazy.

So, naturally, he decided to make a break for it.

It was a Sunday night, which was probably why Obadiah didn’t have anything planned, and Antoni had told Happy he was going to bed early, seeing as there were even more meetings planned for tomorrow. He’d then proceeded to order room service and bribe the poor bellboy who’d brought it, Peter, to sneak him out by hiding him in the cart. He was let out in the back of the kitchen and quickly guided into an alley that smelled like garbage and exhaust fumes, but he couldn’t help the excitement that threatened to burst right out of his chest. Thanking Peter one last time and slipping him an extra hundred, Antoni headed off into the night.

It was too late for some of the major tourist attractions like the Statue of Liberty to still be open, but Antoni was sure he’d be able to find something to do. New York was the city that never slept, after all! Maybe he’d buy a ticket from a scalper and go see a Broadway show _without_ a chatterbox to distract him. Or maybe he’d go for a walk in Central Park. Sure, it technically closed at dusk, but he could probably still get in. He definitely wanted to try some New York-style pizza and maybe buy a hot dog from one of the street vendor carts. That was what everyone in the movies seemed to do.

Checking to make sure none of his security team was out front watching, Tony scurried off down the street. The crowd was still out in force, everyone wrapped up tight against the weather. None of them gave him a second glance. It was kind of amazing.

Back home, and even in the meetings Obadiah had set up, Antoni always had to _be_ somebody. He was a representative of his family and his nation. He was the face of their royal bloodline. On the streets back home, he would be instantly swamped by citizens who wanted to shake his hand, parents who wanted their babies kissed, or people with grievances they wanted him to weigh in on. It was exhausting and meant he never had any time to just walk around and be himself. In stark contrast, no one here knew who he was. What was more, no one here _cared_. It was a delightfully freeing sensation.

Stepping aside to escape the flow of pedestrians and pressing up against the glass storefront of some shop, Antoni pulled out his phone to bring up navigation. Since it was already dark out, he figured Times Square would be the best place to start. He knew it was around here somewhere…

.

Antoni was having the time of his life.

Times Square had been the perfect place to begin his night out. The lights and screens plastered all over it had been nearly overwhelming, but he’d blended in perfectly with all the other tourists gaping and taking photos. He’d even managed to find a ‘New York After Dark’ walking tour by Daredevil Tours to join at the last minute, purchasing the ticket on his phone. It was led by a blind man named Matt who promised to show them all the most haunted spots in the city. They’d walked around a bit before heading into the subway system and traveling around to the different burrows, finally ending up in Brooklyn.

“Thank you so much,” Antoni enthused once the tour was over and the rest of the tourists had begun to drift away, “for the tour _and_ for helping me figure out that blasted machine to get my transit card.”

Matt gave one of his thin lipped, grim smiles.

“They give a lot of people trouble. Don’t worry about it. I’m here to help.”

“Well, if you wouldn’t mind helping me out just a bit more, maybe you could recommend somewhere nearby where I could stop in for a pint? I think my feet could use a bit of a break after all that walking.”

Matt pursed his lips and thought for a minute, tapping his stick absentmindedly as he did.

“If you’re looking for something more touristy, I’d suggest you head back into Manhattan, but there’s a place not too far from here that I’ve been to a few times. It’s pretty much all locals, so you won’t get price gouged, and the atmosphere can’t be beat. Plus, they’re menu has a nice variety.”

Antoni grinned broadly. A local spot!

“Sounds perfect. What’s the name of it? I can plug it into my phone.”

“It’s The Howling Commandos. Shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes to walk from here, and the streets are pretty safe. It’d take longer, but I can give you subway directions, too.”

Antoni typed in the name, finding the bar quickly. Matt was right, it was only about three minutes away.

“Nah, I think I’ve got it.” He so rarely got to walk around unsupervised. He hadn’t gotten his fill of it yet for the night. “Thanks again! Oh, and here, this is for you.”

Figuring Matt’s blindness kept him safe from immediate discovery, Antoni pressed a couple hundreds into his palm. It’d been a really great tour. Matt gave him another wry smile.

“Enjoy your night.”

.

The Howling Commandos wasn’t like anywhere Tony had been before. The chill air of the outdoors gave way to a toasty interior of dark hardwoods and rich upholstery. The entire place was made out to look like something from the 1920’s, with brass fixtures and Mucha reproductions hanging on the walls. There were people scattered all throughout the room, several with absinth water dispensers on the tables in front of them. A few people were dressed up in period-themed clothing, too, and Antoni couldn’t help but giggle a little at seeing it. Of course, Matt had known the perfect place to send him.

Not wanting to take up a table all to himself, and hoping for the conversational company of neighbors, Antoni headed toward the polished bar. The entire back wall was shelving, full of liquor and wine bottles with a heavily antiqued mirror hung at the center; its reflective surface too clouded to make out anything but vague shapes. A modern register stood at one end and stainless steel covered the actual work area behind the counter, but otherwise it looked wonderfully authentic. Antoni slipped onto a velvet-covered stool and listened to the smooth jazz filtering through the bar’s speakers while he waited to be served.

The bartender, a man who looked like he was probably in his late twenties, was dressed in dark trousers with the sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up to his elbows. His long, black hair was swept up into a bun and the stubble coating his jaw was just enough to be considered artful rather than sloppy. A neat bowtie and suspenders completed the look. As he sent a quick smile Antoni’s way to acknowledge his presence, the prince’s heart thudded heavily in his chest.

The man was _gorgeous._

Antoni quickly dropped his gaze and grabbed a nearby menu to keep himself from staring. He’d met quite a few attractive people in his life, but hot _damn_. This guy blew them out of the water by a mile. But, Antoni reminded himself forcefully, he wasn’t here to flirt. Even if the guy were amenable to the idea, Antoni was just here to get a drink and rest his feet for a bit before heading back to his hotel. He still needed to get at least a few hours of sleep before whatever meetings Obadiah had planned for the next day. He was the crowned prince. Picking up a stranger at a bar wasn’t an option for him.

Which, to be fair, wasn’t something Antoni had ever imagined he would _want_ to do. The idea of a hookup or one-night stand had never really appealed to him. Maybe it was because he’d grown up on stories of his parents’ storybook love – after all, they’d been soulmates – but Antoni was a romantic at heart. There was just something about the man that had his heart pounding in a way it never had before. Which was _ridiculous_ , because Antoni hadn’t even spoken to him yet.

“Sorry about the wait, doll. You know what you want?” a sultry, _sinful_ voice purred.

The bartender had one elbow leaned against the counter, smirk in place and eyes smoldering _right at him_. Antoni didn’t know that was an actual thing that eyes could do, not just a literary device in fiction. It took a moment for the question to register.

Yes, Antoni absolutely knew what he wanted, no matter that he hadn’t taken in a single word of the menu. Unfortunately, he was fairly sure that the first words out of his mouth shouldn’t be a request to let him worship the man’s body with his tongue. He doubted that’d leave a very good impression.

Rallying, he smiled back at the man, aiming for somewhere between friendly and ‘my brain is melting out of my ears over how hot you are’.

“I’m not sure. What would you suggest?” he asked in an attempt to cover up his complete and total ignorance of the offerings.

“That depends,” the bartender drawled, voice dipping deeper into an accent Antoni couldn’t quite identify. “Do you prefer something sweet or herbal?”

Antoni preferred very, very high-end whiskey, but that wasn’t going to be on offer here. While they probably had some nice ones, no Ferronian native was going to drink a whiskey that hadn’t come from their shores. Except, on some occasions, if that whiskey was a scotch. Scotch whiskey was the closest to Ferronian whiskey, though Ferronians were infused with honey – like a mixture between scotch and mead.

“Sweet, generally.”

Storm grey eyes flickered over Antoni’s body before climbing back up to his face, not even attempting subtlety.

“I just bet you are,” came the purred reply and Antoni could feel the blush heating his cheeks. Alright, so maybe there _was_ interest after all. No one had ever been this forward with him, but then most everyone he interacted with knew who he was and his station. “How about an Amaretto Sour?”

“Sounds perfect.”

Thankfully, Antoni was actually familiar with the drink, seeing as Amaretto was native to his neighboring Italy.

“Then I’ll have it up for you in just a tick,” the bartender said with a wink. “You just hold tight, okay?”

“Okay,” Antoni echoed, barely able to get the words out past the heart in his throat.

As the man turned away to prepare the drink, Antoni wished the floor would just open up and swallow him whole. What the hell was going on with him? He encountered a pretty face and suddenly he couldn’t string more than two words together? He’d encountered models and royalty and politically powerful figures all his life and this had never happened before. Fuck, but whatever interest the bartender had shown would dry up quick if he kept this up. This was probably karma for him sneaking out. Rhodey was going to laugh his ass off at him when Antoni got back and finally told him the story.

He wallowed in his misfortune until his drink was served. It came in a short glass with a large ball of ice in the center, to keep the melting from diluting the liquor, and a metal pick lay delicately across the top spearing three maraschino cherries.

“Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.”

The bartender started to turn away and Antoni was suddenly struck by the panicked thought that this was it – if he didn’t act now, he’d lose any chance he might have had to begin with.

“What’s your name?” he blurted, before immediately wanting to smack himself. He wasn’t supposed to want anything from this in the first place! He was here for a drink and nothing more. Even if he _wanted_ and _was wanted_ , nothing could happen. His identity may be a secret for now, but he could be recognized at any time. Under no circumstances should he be handing a story for the papers over to a stranger.

Well, at least three words were more than two. He was headed in the right direction, if nothing else. There was nothing scandalous about a conversation.

“Bucky,” the bartender said, turning back and leaning a hip against the counter. “I haven’t seen you in here before, and I know everybody who comes in here.”

“I’m not from around here. I’m,” Antoni hesitated for a moment, “Tony.”

For some reason, he didn’t want to give his real name. Bucky had no idea who he was and that was… nice. Happy would undoubtedly grouse about the possible security breaches of Antoni revealing his identity and there was always the risk of being sold out for publicity, but that wasn’t it. Antoni didn’t want to be the prince of Ferronia here, not tonight. He wanted to be just Tony, to be _normal_ , the kind of guy who could hit on a bartender without having to worry about it reflecting back on an entire country.

Bucky chuckled easily, oblivious to Antoni’s inner turmoil.

“Yeah, I could tell. You’ve gotta be from somewhere in Europe, yeah? I’ll admit I can’t place the accent.”

“That’s okay, I haven’t been able to place yours, either. I came over from Italy.”

It wasn’t strictly a lie. Antoni had taken a small vessel to the mainland of Italy before transferring onto a larger ship.

“The Amaretto was a good choice, then!” Bucky grinned with obvious delight. “Sometimes I impress even myself. I’m from right here in Brooklyn, doll. You’re looking at a born and bred native.”

He held his arms out as if on display and did a little spin.

“Lucky me,” Antoni breathed, not quite able to pull his gaze up from admiring Bucky’s _assets_ quick enough to keep from getting caught.

His blush deepened as Bucky’s grin broadened.

“Play your cards right, and you just might be.”

Antoni’s jaw dropped as the line drove reality home. This was actually happening. It wasn’t just extra friendly service in the hope of a better tip or flirting for amusement. Bucky was actually _interested_ in _him_.

He took a big sip of his drink to cover up the way his mind short-circuited. It was a damn good drink, well blended and smooth with just the right balance was sweet and tart with a hint of alcohol underneath. It’d be dangerously easy to drink too quickly and not realize how much he was ingesting until it hit his system, just the way amaretto sours were meant to be. For all the mind Antoni paid it, it might as well have been some no name American beer.

Was Antoni actually doing this? He had responsibilities, not to mention that he had no idea who this guy was. He was a _prince_ , set to take the throne in just a few short months. He couldn’t have a one-night stand with some bartender. It just wasn’t _done_.

Tony could, though. Tony was just a normal person, a tourist on vacation from Italy. Tony didn’t have to think about the repercussions or representing his nation. Tony could do whatever he wanted… and Tony really, _really_ wanted to see where this might lead.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he hedged, not quite able to commit fully without leaving himself an opening to back out if he got in too deep.

“I hope you will.” Bucky leaned forward across the counter, eyelids lowering enough for Antoni to realize he was wearing a thin coat of eyeliner. “So, what brings you all the way across the ocean to our humble city?”

Antoni snorted a laugh, momentarily jarred out of his inner panic.

“Oh, yeah, humble is definitely the word I would use to describe New York.”

“Maybe not,” Bucky allowed, giving him another wink and a sly grin. “I’ll give you that one. You here on vacation?”

He probably wanted to know if he was running the risk of having Antoni think this might be more than just a single night of fun, or maybe a few nights, if he was staying long enough.

“Sort of. My dad was from here, but I’d never been before. I’m only here a couple of weeks.”

Bucky nodded, picking up a rag and starting to wipe down his side of the counter.

“You couldn’t resist the pull,” he teased. “Nobody can. New York’s got a way of calling to everybody. It’s what makes this place so great. There’s something for everybody here.”

Antoni was definitely feeling a call to something. He couldn’t help smiling at Bucky, could barely drag his gaze away from him. He’d have seriously considered something having been slipped into his drink if he hadn’t felt this way from the moment he laid eyes on the other man.

“It _is_ pretty great, even if I haven’t gotten to see a whole lot of it yet.”

“Oh, you just get here?”

Antoni wished that was all it was.

“One of my dad’s old friends offered to host me while I’m here, but there hasn’t been much actual sightseeing. I feel bad telling him I don’t want to do the stuff he has planned, though.”

“Ah, yes, the trappings of polite society. They’ll get you every time. Oh, hold on,” he straightened as one of the waitstaff passed him a ticket. “Let me take care of this.”

The waiter, a shorter, dirty blond guy with a bright purple bowtie and matching waist apron eyed Antoni as Bucky stepped away.

“Yep,” he said brightly, popping the ‘P’ loudly. “I should have known you were keeping Bucky distracted. You’re just his type.”

Antoni raised an eyebrow. Was everyone in this bar so forward? Was it an American thing? He hadn’t experienced much of it before, but he hadn’t exactly been in this environment. It was hardly something one could get away with in business or political meetings. That Justin Hammer fellow had made some pretty thinly veiled comments, though.

“Um, thank you?”

“Don’t. I’m gonna be the guy dragging him away from you all night to remind him he’s actually got a job to do.”

“As if you’re one to talk, Clint” Bucky cut in, shooting the waiter a good-natured glare as he poured a few shots of absinth and plated the sugar squares to go with them. “You barely work as it is.”

Clint just beamed happily as he accepted the drink tray, calling over his shoulder as he left, “Only as much as I can’t avoid!”

Bucky chuckled.

“He’s not wrong, you know,” he admitted, tone casual, sliding his gaze over to look at Antoni out of the corner of his eye. “You _are_ just my type.”

Antoni couldn’t resist rolling his eyes, feeling more relaxed the longer he spent in Bucky’s presence. He was still as handsome as ever, but Antoni’s mind seemed to be growing at least somewhat accustomed to it.

“Foreign and tipsy?” he asked, taking another sip of his drink.

He wasn’t tipsy, this being his first drink of the day, but he was definitely headed in that direction. He should probably slow down. Or not. If he didn’t he could always blame any bad decisions later on the alcohol.

“I was thinking more adorable and intelligent, but those don’t hurt,” Bucky grinned.

“Intelligent?”

“A tourist wandering in here at this time of night? That can only mean that Matt sent you, and Matt only tells people he likes about this place.”

“And Matt only likes intelligent people?”

Bucky shrugged.

“Or people who can bench press him, but, no offense, you don’t look like the type who could quite manage that.”

“No, I would have to say not.”

“So, what do you do, then, Mr. Intelligent?”

Antoni grimaced. That was a dangerous question. Even if he never saw Bucky again, he didn’t want to lie to him. He’d just had to figure out a way to navigate the conversation with half-truths.

“I’m mostly involved in politics, thanks to the family business.”

Bucky made a commiserating noise.

“Well, if the politics over in Italy are anything like they are here, I can see why you needed the vacation.”

“It’s the last chance I was going to have to get away for awhile,” Antoni sighed, a rush of melancholy suddenly penetrating his good mood. “I kind of had hoped it’d be a little more exciting. Or, I don’t know. I wanted to see more of the city than I’ve been able to.”

Bucky frowned at him for a long moment.

“There’s really no way you can get away? I mean, you managed to get here tonight.”

Antoni winced.

“It’s complicated. _Technically,_ I ditched.”

He just ditched his security detail rather than his host. Bucky barked a laugh, though.

“I thought you said you felt bad about telling him you weren’t interested in what he was doing!”

“Well, I’m hoping he doesn’t realize I’m gone until I get back.”

Their eyes met for a moment and Antoni felt a rush of heat. The hunger in Bucky’s eyes said he felt it, too.

“Do you have a timeline on that?” he asked, voice low. “Your carriage turn into a pumpkin by midnight or something?”

Antoni swallowed roughly, the entire room was suddenly too warm, his skin hyper-sensitive under Bucky’s gaze. This was a bad idea, a _terrible_ idea, and yet he somehow couldn’t seem to resist.

“Not until morning.”

Bucky’s answering grin was slow and wicked.

“A lot can happen before morning.”

.

“Clint, close up for me, will yah?” Bucky called, tossing his cleaning rag down on the counter in order to snag the waiter as he walked past.

“Uh, no?”

“Come on, you owe me, man.”

Clint’s eyebrows rose.

“You really want to call that in _now?_ For _this?_ ”

Bucky didn’t respond, just giving Clint a hard look until he groaned and threw his hands up in defeat.

“Yeah, okay, sure. Whatever! I’ll close up so you can go play tonsil hockey with your foreign boy toy.”

He made an over-exaggerated grossed out face as he said it, and Antoni couldn’t help but giggle into his drink, his fourth of the night. His head felt a little fogged, and he was _definitely_ tipsy, but he was still a long way off from drunk. It was a comfortable level of intoxication. He giggled even more when Bucky winked at him, the bartender stealing the metal pick off his glass and carefully sliding the cherry off of it with his teeth – never breaking eye contact.

“Be right back, doll. Just let me clock out and I’m all yours.”

Clint fake retched into the trash can behind the bar.

“And don’t you dare let him pay, Clint!”

The waiter rolled his eyes dramatically.

“I’m more than happy to pay,” Antoni protested, aiming the words at Clint since Bucky had already disappeared. More than just a bit of his concentration was spent on trying to will away the tenting of his trousers that Bucky’s little show had caused.

“Don’t worry about it. Bucky’ll be covering your tab.”

“Oh… does he normally do that with his hookups?”

Maybe he shouldn’t have asked, would have been happier not knowing, but Antoni just couldn’t resist. He’d always been curious by nature, even about things he shouldn’t be – _especially_ about things he shouldn’t be.

Clint snorted a laugh.

“He doesn’t actually take home that many people. He just likes to look cool.” He grew suddenly serious, nailing Antoni with a long look. “And he doesn’t pay for their drinks.”

Antoni wasn’t sure exactly how to take that.

“Is there anything I can help with?” Antoni couldn’t help asking, deciding that ignoring it was probably the best option. He finished off his drink and reached over the counter to place the empty glass by the sink.

Clint just waved him off.

“Nah, I got this. Closing up isn’t all that bad.”

Antoni nodded, feeling a bit awkward sitting there as the rest of the crowd finished up their drinks and headed out. A couple other members of the waitstaff cleared their tables and delivered the glasses to Clint before taking the dishes back to the kitchen. Clint loaded up the dishwasher under the bar and got it started before beginning to wipe down the counter’s surface. It was only a handful of minutes before Bucky reappeared, apron gone in favor of a jacket and with a backpack on his shoulders.

“Ready?”

Antoni beamed at him, relaxing all over again. What was it about this man that just drew him in so inexplicably? He was irresistible.

“Whenever you are.”

One of Bucky’s hands slipped into his own as he tugged Antoni out the door.

“I forgot my gloves at home tonight. Think you could help keep me warm?”

Antoni was still laughing as they paused under the neon light of the bar’s logo. The whole street was dark, or as dark as anywhere in New York ever got. The lights from overhead bathed them in a soft glow and Antoni’s heart ached at the strange tenderness of the moment, seeming so at odds with the fleeting casualness of a one-night stand. This moment, their connection, felt so much more profound than that.

“I’ve been wanting to do this all night,” Bucky confessed softly, his free palm coming up to cup Antoni’s cheek. “You’re just too damn pretty for my own good.”

Then he was leaning in, slightly chapped lips pressing softly against Antoni’s own. It was just a brush, a whisper of contact, and then Bucky returned for more. Their clasped hands released so Antoni could grip the front of Bucky’s jacket and pull him in even closer, their bodies slotting against each other. It was like a furnace pressed up against him and he lost himself in the sensation. Bucky’s stubble rasped against his skin and a moan escaped him before he could help it.

It seemed that only with great effort was Bucky able to pull himself away. He didn’t go far, though, only pulling back enough for them to press their foreheads together, breath still intermingling.

“Wow,” Bucky breathed. “That was… nice.”

“Only nice?” Antoni teased, any affront belied by the fact that he was still trying to catch his breath.

“More than nice,” Bucky allowed easily. “You didn’t tell me you were such a good kisser. I might have tried to leave work early.”

“Well, there’s no going back to change the past. You’re off work now, what do you plan to do with this newfound discovery?”

Bucky’s eyes sparkled with humor and Antoni couldn’t help but admire them. For all that he’d been calling Antoni pretty throughout the night, Bucky was absolutely gorgeous. He looked like what Antoni would expect to find in a Hollywood movie star. He looked even better than some of the ones Antoni had personally met.

Tom Cruise eat your heart out.

“I can think of a few things…” In direct conflict to his words, Bucky stepped away, hand leaving Antoni’s cheek but interlacing their fingers once again. “But there’s something I want you to see first.”

Happy would probably have kittens over how easily Antoni followed Bucky’s lead. Maybe this was going to end in disaster, but Antoni was willing to take that risk. He was in too deep, now. There was no way he was going to turn back.

“Oh?” he questioned.

“You’ll see.”

It should have been terrifying, following this absolute stranger through the streets of New York in the dead of night. Antoni could be all but serving himself up on a platter to a serial killer who wanted to wear his skin, but the thought didn’t even cross his mind. All Antoni could feel was excitement. He felt free, like anything could happen and all of it good.

Bucky led him across several blocks and then down into the subway, hopping on and off a few trains before guiding him back out again. Their chatter along the way was hushed and heated, and Bucky kept an arm wrapped around Antoni’s waist on the train with the poor excuse of keeping him steady. No excuse was needed. Antoni was perfectly happy to stay pressed in close, kissing between stations and having to resist the temptation to let hands wander further than appropriate in public places.

Once they were back out in the frigid air of the streets, they huddled together for warmth as best they could while hustling wherever Bucky was leading them. Luckily, they weren’t out for long before Bucky was pulling him under an overhang and unlocking the door to an older apartment complex to usher Tony inside. The floor was graying linoleum and the elevator was marked off with strips of tape and an ‘out of service’ sign, but the flickering fluorescent bulbs above gave off enough light to see by.

“This way,” Bucky bid him, heading for the stairwell.

They climbed up flight after flight, chasing each other’s lips and stealing caresses, until Bucky fumbled with a knob behind him and sent them spilling out onto the roof. Antoni looked out on the horizon and his breath caught, leaving him gaping and mesmerized.

“Oh, _wow_ …”

Bucky didn’t even seem insulted by his sudden loss of interest in their previous activity, beaming proudly.

“The apartments might be shit, but you won’t find a better view in the entire city.”

It was probably true. It seemed like all of New York was laid out before them. Skyscrapers highlighted against each other by the twinkling stars of their windows, beams from spotlights could be seen sweeping back and forth from various venues, and even the ever-present sound of traffic was muted.

“This is _incredible_ ,” Antoni breathed.

 _This_ was the New York he’d wanted to visit. This was a magical, wonderful place full of possibilities, laid out before him. This was a city full of life and people, all intermingled, with a place for everyone. Antoni couldn’t resist stepping up to the short brick safety wall that lined the roof, still captivated by the view before him. He could feel the warmth of Bucky staying close, sharing body heat. What little air there was between them felt electrified.

“I’m glad you like it,” he replied, voice just as hushed as Antoni’s had been.

Something seemed to have settled around them, some bubble keeping the rest of the world, _reality_ , at bay. It was just the two of them now and Antoni finally managed to tear his eyes away from the view to focus back on Bucky. His heart hammered in his chest and he suddenly had the realization that he was standing on a precipice. He didn’t know how it’d happened, but he knew the threat of tumbling over the edge was very real. He could fall for this man, for Bucky, all too easily. All he had to do was take that one last step.

“Thank you. For sharing this with me.”

Bucky’s expression was soft, impossibly so. He looked so tender, standing there, and Antoni wanted nothing more than to hold him.

“Well, I couldn’t let your visit be a complete bust.”

They were chest to chest now, both having turned away from the city, drawn together like magnets. Bucky’s jacket hung open and Antoni slipped a hand in, trailing his fingers over what could only be deliciously defined abs.

“I think you managed that as soon as I stepped into your bar.” He looked up at Bucky through his lashes, feeling suddenly emboldened by the faint trembling of the flesh beneath his hand. His heart pounded wildly at the thought of what he was going to say next, what he was going to ask for. “I’d really like you to take me to bed now.”

“ _Fuck_ yes,” Bucky groaned. “Please.”

They crashed together, kissing with an urgency that hadn’t been there before. There’d been desire, of course, but it hadn’t been so acute. Now the heat between them had turning into a raging inferno, demanding release. Antoni couldn’t even be sure how they made it back into the building and down the stairs to whichever floor Bucky’s apartment was on. He certainly couldn’t have provided the number if asked. All he cared about was Bucky’s hands on his body and his lips against his own.

They dropped Bucky’s keys twice before managing to get the door unlocked and open, but then they were inside. Bucky kicked it shut behind them and they beelined for the bedroom, not bothering with even the pretense of a tour. They were both too desperate for that. They knew what they wanted and they were too close to getting it to care about anything else now.

Antoni’s back hit the wall of the apartment’s hall and he moaned as Bucky’s lips worked their way down his neck. Their hips rutted against each other as Antoni struggled to yank Bucky’s jacket off and kick away his own shoes at the same time.

“God, you’re delicious,” Bucky praised through his panting. “So gorgeous. Are marks okay?”

Through the haze of his desire, all Antoni could think about was what it would be like to have a physical reminder of Bucky on his skin, proof of their connection.

“Yes, yes!” he cried, abandoning his fight with Bucky’s jacket to tip his head back and surrender to whatever Bucky wanted from him. “Please, Bucky. I want you so bad.”

Bucky, blessedly, didn’t waste any time indulging Antoni’s desires. His tongue was like a searing brand against Antoni’s skin, marking out a spot for his lips and teeth to latch onto, appreciative noises spilling from Antoni’s mouth at the suction. Bucky finally released him with a wet sound before kissing his abused flesh better and returning his lips to Antoni’s once more.

“What in the world are you doing to me?” he asked between kisses.

Antoni couldn’t help a breathless laugh.

“I have no idea, but I think you must be doing the same thing to me.”

They managed to shed the rest of their clothing as they made their way down the hall, though Antoni was fairly sure they left a trail of disarray in their wake. There was just enough light spilling in through the bedroom window for them to see by, but Antoni didn’t take the time to look around. He pushed Bucky back, sending him tumbling onto the bed, and followed after him moments later to straddle his thighs.

“My turn.”

Running his hands up Bucky’s sides, he reveled in the feeling of all that hot, trembling flesh beneath him. He ducked in for another kiss before working his way across Bucky’s jawline and down his neck, using what Bucky had done to him as a guide. He could feel his own hands shaking with nerves and pressed them more firmly against Bucky’s skin to stop them. Kissing and licking and scraping his teeth along the way, he made his way down the planes of Bucky’s chest, tracing the lines of his abs with his tongue, relishing the soft gasps and sharp inhales as he nibbled on Bucky’s flesh.

Bucky was just so beautiful. His muscles weren’t like those of the models Antoni had known, the result of specific work with gym equipment but ultimately useless. Bucky’s muscles were _real_. They came from labor and lifting heavy objects, from eating well and living healthfully. Dark, coarse hair trailed up toward Bucky’s navel and Tony relished the way it scraped across his cheeks, just as he knew his facial hair must scrape across Bucky’s skin.

“ _Fuck_ , Tony,” Bucky groaned. “You’re killing me. How the hell did you come wandering into my bar, huh? How did I get this lucky?”

Feeling emboldened, Tony scooted backward even more, his knees slipping off the bed, and nibbled along one of Bucky’s hip bones.

“Play your cards right, and you just might be,” he echoed Bucky’s words from earlier, earning himself a laugh.

Smoothing his hands over Bucky’s strong thighs, squeezing the delicious muscles there as he attempted to calm his pounding heart. He couldn’t help the nerves bubbling up from within his chest. What if he wasn’t good enough? What if he was just a horrible lay and Bucky never wanted to see him again? Not that Bucky was going to want to see him again anyway, since this was only a one-time thing. That was heart wrenching enough but if this was the only night Antoni was going to get, he wanted it to be _perfect_.

He didn’t realize how quickly his breaths were coming until Bucky was sitting up and trying to soothe him.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, running fingers through Antoni’s hair, ducking his head down to try and catching Antoni’s eyes. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

Antoni avoided his gaze, feeling horribly embarrassed.

“Nothing,” he denied. “I’m fine.”

Yeah, like Bucky was gonna buy that.

“You’re _not_ fine. Do you- Do you not want to do this?”

The question was asked hesitantly, but Antoni knew – without being able to identify _how_ he knew – that Bucky would let him gather his clothes and leave without anything happening if that was what Antoni said he wanted.

“I want-“ Antoni swallowed roughly, fighting off the anxiety threatening to strangle him. “I _want_ this,” he promised. “I just… haven’t. Before.”

The thigh muscles under his hands tensed.

“You…” Bucky didn’t finish, apparently unable to decide just what exactly Antoni was. The prince cringed, pulling his hands away from Bucky’s body only for them to be snatched up and held. “Hey, no. It’s okay, doll. I just need a moment to adjust.”

Bucky’s tone was soft, gentle, non-judgmental, but Antoni still didn’t feel like he could face him. He just knew he’d ruined everything. The heat that’d been consuming them both cooled as the silence stretched between them. He listened as Bucky took several deep breaths, settling himself.

“Okay,” Bucky finally said. “Come here, sugar. Up.”

He tugged on Antoni’s hands until the prince rose from the floor and sat on the bed beside him. A hand cupped his cheek with heartbreaking gentleness, tipping his face up so that Bucky could press a soft kiss to his lips.

“Thank you.”

Antoni blinked, finally looking at Bucky again.

“What?”

“Thank you,” Bucky said again, “for telling me, and for trusting me enough to make the choice to do this with me. I’m gonna do everything I can to make sure it’s a good time for you. I would anyway, of course, but I want you to know you’ve got nothing to worry about. It doesn’t bother me if you’re a virgin, Tony. It’s an honor.”

Antoni wasn’t a blusher. Most of his staff would happily testify that there wasn’t an ounce of shame in his entire body. Still, he felt his cheeks heating under Bucky’s earnest attentions.

“I just… don’t want you to be disappointed,” Antoni confessed. “If I’m not any good at it.”

It wasn’t like he hadn’t had sex before because he didn’t want to. He was just constantly under surveillance, by the media as well as his security team, and he hadn’t had many opportunities where it wouldn’t shine back on his country. The absolute last thing he wanted was a scandal with his name on it, splashed across the front page of his mother’s morning newspaper.

“I’m not going to be disappointed,” Bucky promised, pulling Antoni back to the present. “Even if we stopped right here, right now, I wouldn’t be disappointed. But, if you want to continue, I can guarantee I’ll make it a night you’ll never forget.”

And, just like that, the heat was back.

“I _definitely_ want to continue.”

They came together again, kissing hungrily to stoke the fires of their lust. Antoni had softened somewhat in his embarrassment, but his cock had little trouble remembering its interest in the proceedings. It sat heavy against Antoni’s thigh, swelling in a tell-tale sign of his desire. He gasped, breaking their kiss to loll his head back, as Bucky’s hand wrapped around him.

“ _Dio Santo!_ ”

Bucky chuckled as he began slowly stroking Antoni’s length.

“I’m going to assume that’s a good thing.”

“Definitely a good thing,” Antoni whined, his hips involuntarily hitching slightly in his desire for more.

“Well, if you like this so much, I think I know something you’ll like even better.”

Bucky winked and slid off the bed to kneel between Antoni’s legs. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he had in mind.

“I was going to do this for you,” he said, with maybe a _hint_ of petulancy. Possibly, he sounded like a pouting child. If he did, it was only because he wasn’t used to being so inexperienced and Bucky’s cock really was gorgeous enough to make his mouth water – all silky-smooth skin and broad enough to promise him an aching jaw later.

Bucky just pressed a kiss to Antoni’s thigh.

“Tonight’s all about you. If you like it well enough, though, maybe you can sneak away again before you head back to Italy and we can switch things up. I doubt we’ll be able to get to everything in a single night, after all.”

He didn’t give Antoni any time to think about the fact that Bucky had just asked him to _come back,_ instead diving forward to swallow Antoni’s cock. The prince gave an alarmed cry, Bucky’s hands on his hips keeping him from thrusting deeper. His mouth was like an inferno, impossibly hot. It was wet and slick and- Oh, _fuck!_ Bucky sucked lightly and Antoni felt like he was going to melt right into the bed. Bucky could have asked him for anything in that moment and Antoni would have given it to him.

He knew, on a certain level that he couldn’t pay any attention to at the moment because Bucky was _sucking his dick_ , that he probably shouldn’t be reacting this strongly. Bucky had barely even done anything! Maybe it was his inexperience, or maybe Bucky was just that good at giving mind-numbing blowjobs, but Antoni was fairly certain that most experiences weren’t nearly this good.

Not that he was complaining. He definitely wasn’t complaining.

“That feels amazing,” he praised between pants as Bucky began bobbing his head. “Your mouth is _incredible_.”

Bucky hummed his appreciation for the praise and the vibrations along his cock had Antoni giving a full-body jerk. His hands found their way into Bucky’s hair, his fingers twisting into dark locks. He didn’t try to guide Bucky anywhere, though, just needed something to hold onto, something with which to ground himself. The bartender certainly didn’t seem to mind, given the dedication he showed for his current activity.

He pulled off of Antoni’s cock until only the head was left in his mouth, tongue swirling around the tip before pressing back down until his nose was buried in the carefully manicured hair at Antoni’s base. There, he swallowed several times, the muscles of his neck working deliciously around Antoni’s length – squeezing and constricting in all the right ways. It was a hot, wet vice wrapped around his dick and Antoni felt like he was losing his mind. Then Bucky pulled back again, tongue tracing the large vein running along the underside of Antoni’s cock as he went, and started all over.

It was maddening. And delicious. And liked nothing Antoni had ever experienced before.

He’d seen to his own needs, of course, as any sexually interested young man was wont to do. He’d masturbated with his hand and various toys, though never anything really adventurous. His experiments had been much more focused on what he could get into himself rather than what he could get himself into, to be completely honest. Still. Bucky’s skill was obvious. Unlike Antoni, he’d done this before.

He moaned loudly as just a hint of Bucky’s teeth scraped lightly along his length.

“Ah! Do that again! _Dio mio_ , do that again!”

Bucky did.

His hands weren’t idle throughout the process, either. They stroked over Antoni’s body, once it became clear he’d gotten the message not to thrust further into Bucky’s mouth than Bucky was taking on his own. Thumbs stroked over his nipples, massaging and rolling them as they pebbled and hardened. Antoni’s head rolled on his neck, moaning and gasping at the sensations that seemed to overtake his body. It was all _so good_.

One of Bucky’s hands drifted lower, dipping between Antoni’s legs to take hold of his balls. He cupped them in his palm, fondling them in such a way that Antoni’s toes curled with desire. It was overwhelming, all the different sensations. He didn’t know how anyone survived it. Antoni’s heart felt like it was racing a million miles a minute, like it was going to explode at any moment. He writhed under the attention.

“Bucky!” he cried, begging for something he couldn’t name. “Bucky, please!”

Bucky gave his balls another affectionate squeeze before releasing them, sitting back on his heels and sucking Antoni’s cock as he went. The head slid out of his mouth with a wet ‘pop’ that sounded obscene over his gasping breaths.

“Ya liked that, huh?” Bucky teased.

Antoni glare at him, even as he tried to gently disentangle his fingers from Bucky’s hair.

“I think the answer to that is fairly obvious.”

Bucky grinned smugly up at him, obviously proud of himself.

“Yeah, it kinda was.”

Antoni could resist pulling him up and into another kiss, their tongues dancing around each other so that Antoni could taste the bitterness of his own precum in Bucky’s mouth. The sinfulness of it sent a shiver down his spine. He really wasn’t sure what the usual procedure was for kissing with a one-night stand, but Antoni felt fairly certain he and Bucky were far exceeding that amount. It felt like he just couldn’t resist, though. There was something about Bucky that continually pulled him in. It was intoxicating, and Antoni didn’t think it was just from the alcohol. For one thing, he hadn’t been that drunk to start with.

When they finally broke apart, Bucky watching him with hungry eyes, his stormy grey irises nearly swallowed by the black of his pupil. All teasing aside, it was obvious that Antoni wasn’t the only one affected by their actions so far.

“Can I fuck you, sweetheart?” Bucky asked, voice a husky rumble. “Is that alright? It’s okay if you’d rather fuck me instead. I’m good with that, but I really, _really_ want to fuck you. Will you let me spread you open with my fingers until you’re begging for something bigger? Do you want me to slide my cock inside you nice and slow and deep so you can feel every inch?”

Antoni groaned and arched his back, lifting his hips to rub himself against Bucky’s abdomen.

“ _God, yes_.”

And they were kissing again, barely able to tear themselves apart. The kisses were sloppy and wet as they shuffled up the bed, scrambling for a better position but unwilling to pull apart to get there. Bucky fumbled through the bedside drawer, coming up with lube and a condom.

“I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you,” Bucky confessed, gasping the words out against Antoni’s skin as he flicked open the bottle and coated his fingers with the lube. “I’ve never had somebody walk through the door of that bar looking so pretty and irresistible. I turned around at the bar and you were just _there_ , with big eyes and ruffled hair, lookin’ like a wet dream brought to life. I near ruined the drink I was making.”

Antoni spread his legs wide to accommodate Bucky between them, shivering as fingers trailed along his crack, not yet dipping in.

“You could have fooled me,” he breathed out, his brain fogged and barely able to concentrate enough to get the words out. “You seemed as cool as a cucumber. Meanwhile, I’d completely lost the ability to read. I still have no idea what your restaurant’s menu even looks like.”

Bucky kissed him again, his fingers dipping between Antoni’s cheeks to circle his hole.

“I thought you didn’t like me, or that maybe it was just that you didn’t like Americans. You kept giving those short responses.”

“I kept giving short responses cause I couldn’t think straight with you looking at me!”

“I’m just glad you _aren’t_ straight.”

Then there were no more words because Bucky pressed his first finger past Antoni’s rim. It felt strange, alien, but not uncomfortable. It was definitely different than having his own fingers inside himself, or even a toy. Everything Antoni had put inside himself before had been at _his_ control, and Bucky’s finger most decidedly was not.

Instead of going straight in, Bucky curved his finger, crooking it and dragging it across the walls of Antoni’s insides.

“Aw, fuck, doll, you feel so good. It’s like you’re sucking me in. I can’t wait to get inside you with more than just my fingers.”

Antoni moaned, Bucky’s words getting to him even more than the physical sensations of their actions.

“Soon,” he promised. “I want you in me so bad. I want you filling me up with that gorgeous cock of yours.”

Bucky chuckled, burying his face in Antoni’s hip and kissing the skin there as he continued to slowly work his finger in and out of Antoni’s willing body.

“You’re one to talk about gorgeous cocks. Yours is every bit as pretty as the rest of you. I should’ve known it would be; long and lean and blushing.”

He looked up the length of Antoni’s body with a sultry stare and Antoni couldn’t help another moan of pleasure from escaping him.

“Yeah…” Bucky breathed. “Just so damn pretty.”

Antoni lifted his hips in encouragement as Bucky prodded at his rim with a second finger, testing the resistance.

“Come on,” he encouraged. “I’m ready for it.”

“You sure, sugar? I don’t want to hurt you.”

Antoni gave a breathless bark of laughter. Bucky was sweet, but there was no cause for concern.

“Just because I haven’t had a cock in me before doesn’t mean I haven’t had other things,” he baldly stated, grinning widely at the shocked look Bucky gave him. “I’m not nearly as innocent as you think I am.”

Bucky groaned long and low, his entire body sinking low as he rested his head on Antoni’s thigh.

“You’re gonna be the death of me, doll,” he murmured against Antoni’s skin, “but I’ll march happy through those pearly gates.”

Obligingly, he slid a second finger in beside the first and gave Antoni’s right thigh a quick nibble.

There was a definite stretch around the intrusion, Antoni’s body trying to readjust, but it was a delicious burn. He rocked his hips against Bucky’s hand, watching Bucky’s wonder with glee. Emboldened, Antoni ran his hands over his own chest and abdomen enticingly, making a show of it as he squirmed atop the sheets. His fingers found his nipples and he pinched them lightly, arching his back and letting his eyelids fall to half-mast.

“Bucky!”

The moan was quickly followed up by a yelp as Bucky turned his head and bit Antoni’s other thigh.

“You absolute _minx_ ,” he accused, though the wide grin stretched across his face assured it was a compliment. “Don’t tease. You don’t want to play that game with me.”

Antoni tried to school his expression as best he could to innocence, a difficult thing, considering he was currently impaled on two of Bucky’s long fingers and happily meeting every thrust.

“I don’t?” he asked, with two slow blinks of big doe eyes and a bite of his bottom lip.

Bucky’s smile took on a wicked tilt.

“You _don’t._ ”

And then Bucky shifted over to take Antoni’s cock in his mouth once again, though not as deeply as he had before. He sucked and licked at the head while working his fingers, making Antoni cry out and writhe beneath him.

“Oh, Bucky! Bucky!”

Antoni really, really didn’t want to come too soon and put a stop to their proceedings. He’d be up for a second round, for sure, but it would take some time for him to recover and he _didn’t want to take it._ He wanted to come with Bucky’s cock inside of him, preferably right before Bucky himself came.

Bucky seemed to know exactly what Antoni needed, though. He worked Antoni’s cock until he was right up against the edge before backing off again. Then he gave Antoni a bit a time to cool down before starting all over. It was a torturous cycle, but a torture Antoni never wanted to end. The world around them fell to the wayside, leaving only the two of them and the ways their bodies were attached. It seemed impossible, how well Bucky already knew exactly what Antoni liked. He’d figured out how to angle his fingers just so to give Antoni the most pleasure, and exactly how much of a hint of teeth only heightened Antoni’s enjoyment rather than hindering it.

Bucky released Antoni’s cock to affix his mouth to his thigh instead, sucking a bright mark into it as he sunk his third finger in. Antoni was sure it would leave a truly spectacular bruise later, maybe even one that would still be lingering when he was back in Ferronia and this night with Bucky was only a memory. But that wasn’t something he wanted to focus on right now.

Pushing the melancholic thoughts aside, Antoni focused on using his moans and gasps to let Bucky know exactly how good a job he was doing. Praise fell easily from his lips like dew drops from morning flowers.

“Oh, fuck, oh yes! Bucky, that’s so good. You feel so good! I can’t wait to have you inside of me. I want it so bad. I bet your cock is going to feel even better!”

It was a sentiment Bucky repaid in kind.

“You’re so pretty like this, Tony. We’re almost there. I can feel you relaxing around my fingers, getting looser. Fuck, doll, but I can’t believe how eager you are for it. You’re so sensitive and responsive and I love it, feel like I could keep you here for hours and never get bored.” Antoni whined high and piteously at the threat and Bucky rushed to reassure him. “I won’t, doll, I won’t. Not this time. I don’t think I’d be able to wait much longer myself. Wouldn’t be able to stand it. I’d lose my mind if I tried.”

Neither of them acknowledged that ‘Not this time’ implied there would be a next time. Antoni certainly hoped there would. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to just go back to his life after having had this.

“Okay, okay,” Bucky finally said, panting nearly as hard as Antoni and looking just as wrecked. “I think you’re ready. Do you feel ready, doll? I don’t want to rush you, I just-“

“I’m ready,” Antoni cut him off, sitting up as best he could with Bucky’s fingers still inside him so he could kiss the man. “Don’t make me wait any longer. Please, _Bucky._ ”

Bucky stared at him in wonder for a full second before leaping into action. Carefully, he pulled his fingers out, wiping them carelessly across the sheets to get rid of the excess lube and reaching for the condom packet he’d gotten out earlier.

“You’re so perfect,” he praised as he did so. “I can’t believe how perfect you are. I can hardly believe you’re _real_.”

Antoni knew how he felt. He kept waiting for the moment where he blinked and woke up somehow back in his hotel room, all of this having been a dream. Of course, he was pretty sure he’d burst into tears if that actually happened. There was no way this wasn’t real. It was too good not to be real.

Bucky tore the condom packet open with his teeth, rolling it onto himself with shaking hands, kissing Antoni again as he did so.

“Perfect,” he praised again, pulling away to lube himself up.

“Wait!” Antoni cried, reaching out to grab his wrist. Bucky froze in an instant, still as a statue, and Antoni had to fight down another embarrassing flush. “I… uh, I want to ride you.”

Bucky looked like someone had just punched him across the face with a winning lottery ticket. He swallowed roughly.

“Yeah, okay. Let’s do that. That sounds good.”

Antoni couldn’t help but laugh, leaning forward for another kiss.

“I’m glad you like the sound of my suggestion.”

Bucky chuckled against his lips, seeming unwilling to let the kiss end just yet.

“Have I mentioned you’re perfect?”

“Maybe once or twice.”

He nudged Bucky’s shoulder, prompting him to roll onto his back so Antoni could straddle him once again. Their groins pressed against one another and Antoni couldn’t resist the urge to rock a bit, relishing the feel of Bucky’s cock against his own. Bucky’s hands settled on his hips, big and warm and strong, urging him on.

“The things I want to do to you…”

Antoni smiled down at him.

“We’ve got time.”

Neither of them said what they were both thinking, that – one night or two weeks – it wouldn’t be enough. Instead, Antoni reached down to wrap a hand around both of their cocks, his fingers not quite long enough to be able to hold them both comfortably. Somehow, that only made it better. He leaned down to kiss the moan from Bucky’s lips. They kissed slow and languid, a moment of peace amidst the frenzy of their coupling. Antoni finally pulling away when he felt he couldn’t wait any longer.

Releasing his own cock, Antoni lifted up on his knees and shuffled forward until he was poised over Bucky’s cock, held steady by his hand. Bucky squeezed his hips lightly, urging Antoni to look back up at his face again.

“You’re perfect,” Bucky told him, voice and face both serious, “and whatever you want is perfect, too.”

It was a window, an out, an opportunity for Antoni to voice any second thoughts he might be having. But he wasn’t having any.

He lowered himself until Bucky’s cock nudged up against his hole, the bulbous head feeling larger and thicker than even Bucky’s three fingers. It felt larger than any of Antoni’s toys, which was definitely true. Antoni took a deep, calming breath, and then let himself sink down further, using his own bodyweight as a guide.

A moan that felt like it’d been pulled straight from his soul slipped out as Bucky’s cock slipped in. His rim burned with the stretch, trying to accommodate this large object, and his muscles clenched down against the intrusion, making Bucky gasp and give a plaintiff moan of his own. It could have been seconds or hours before Antoni was fully seated on Bucky’s cock, thighs quivering on either side of Bucky’s hips, and Antoni wouldn’t have been able to say which. He was _so full_ , Bucky’s cock filling up every crevasse inside of him and stretching him wide. His breaths came in short little gasps and he couldn’t help the way his hips twitched minutely.

Bucky’s hands ran up and down his sides, petting and soothing him in turns. His expression seemed torn between pleasure and marvel.

“ _Tony,_ ” he breathed, the name saying more than a million words ever could.

Antoni could do nothing but shudder and moan in response. He’d thought he’d known what it would be like to have sex for the first time. Just because he hadn’t done it didn’t mean he was completely ignorant. He’d read things online, experimented with his toys. He thought he’d _known_.

He had no idea.

It wasn’t just the physical sensations coursing through his body. It was so much more than that, a connection like he couldn’t even describe. It was a higher high than any drug on the market and Antoni felt like he was drowning in it. His entire being reeled at the feeling of having Bucky inside of him and he all but collapsed forward, Bucky rising to meet him so that they clashed in a kiss. It was _wild_ and _violent_ , like they were attempting to consume each other in their entireties. Antoni felt like he wanted to crawl inside of Bucky’s skin and make a home there as Bucky did the same to him. He never wanted to leave.

It was absurd and irrational and insane, but that was how he felt. It was like a hurricane of emotions coursing through him, telling him that this was where he _belonged_. And it wasn’t just New York or this tiny shoebox of an apartment. He belonged with _Bucky_ , and Bucky belonged with _him_.

Antoni felt very close to tears as he levered his hips up before sinking back down again. The glide was delicious, enthralling, and like it was ripping Antoni to pieces all at once. He never wanted it to stop. Bucky’s hands framed his face, now, keeping him close to continue the kiss and Antoni rocked his hips, lifting and lowering himself on Bucky’s cock. He worked himself up and down the length, moaning and gasping for air between their lips.

Bucky’s hips met his on every downstroke, punching the air out of Antoni’s lungs. The muscles of his thighs burned, unused to this particular strain, but Antoni couldn’t stop, wouldn’t stop, didn’t _want_ to stop. His mind was fogged, but his heart burned with desire. It was overwhelming, all consuming, and Antoni had to place his hands on Bucky’s shoulders and push away, breaking the kiss for any chance of not being burned alive by the heat between them.

The angle was better, sitting up like this, and Antoni pushed himself harder. He lifted until only the head of Bucky’s cock remained inside of him before letting himself drop once more. Bucky’s hands spasmed as they stroked over his sides before finding purchase on his hips once again, lifting him and pulling him back down to help him along. Now unoccupied by kissing, Bucky’s lips began to spill forth words once again.

“Perfect,” he gasped first. Then, “So fucking perfect. Never known someone so gorgeous and eager and hot. _Fuck_ , doll, you’re so hot around me. Feel like I’m burning up. What are you doing to me, sugar? ‘s never felt like this before. You’re just- God, so perfect.”

It was like a feedback loop between them. Emotions flew back and forth and the pleasure of their bodies heightened until tears spilled from Antoni’s eyes, streaking down his cheeks.

“It’s so good,” he promised as he sobbed. “I never want it to stop. I don’t want to go.”

He was pleading, he knew, but he couldn’t stop himself. He just felt so overwhelmed, like he was drowning in it all. Bucky surged upward, one arm wrapping around Antoni’s shoulders to keep him from falling backward and the other pulling his knee forward as he fucked into Antoni with even greater force. He’d truly taken over their coupling now, and Antoni could only cry out and take it as teeth sank into the meet of his shoulder, though not hard enough to break skin.

“You don’t have to,” Bucky promised right back, laving at the abused skin with broad strokes of his tongue. “We’ll figure it out. We’ll figure something out. Don’t care how. Doesn’t matter. I’m not letting you go.”

Like this, Antoni’s cock was trapped between their body’s sliding against Bucky’s abs with every thrust. He could feel the heat and the pleasure building inside of him, pushing him further toward the precipice. He clenched around Bucky’s cock, desperate for something he couldn’t name.

“Please!” he pleaded. “Please, please, please, Bucky, _please_!”

Every word was punched out of him as Bucky tried to drive himself deeper. His clung to Bucky’s broad shoulders, rocking his cock against his abs and chasing the rabbit that teased him.

“Come on, doll,” Bucky urged him. “Just let go. I’ve got you. I’ve got you, sweetheart. Let go for me. Let me take care of you.”

Antoni’s orgasm hit with blinding force. His cry was practically a howl, head thrown back and body taut. Every muscle tensed and clenched and trembling and he let himself be dragged under the waves of pleasure as they crashed through him. His come splattered across both his and Bucky’s abdomens as Bucky continued to fuck him, every slide over his prostate bringing another toe-curling wave of ecstasy. Antoni wasn’t sure he’d ever come so much in his entire life, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but this moment.

Then Bucky was coming, too, thrusting into Antoni as deep as he could possibly geo and holding himself there. Antoni clenched again, instinctively, and he could feel the twitching of the cock inside of him as it shot burst after burst of come. Even with the condom catching it, Antoni couldn’t help but feel another shuddered wave of pleasure at the thought of Bucky filling him up with his seed, of having the proof of their connection leaking out of him even once Bucky had pulled out.

They collapsed down onto the bed, both going limp. Antoni curled atop Bucky’s chest, his entire body rising and falling with every heaved breath. For the first time, he noticed how sweaty they both were, their skin slick with it. He couldn’t resist the temptation to lick a stripe up Bucky’s pecs to taste it. Beneath him, Bucky shuddered and groaned, the cock still within Antoni’s ass giving a valiant twitch of interest.

“Definitely gonna be the death of me,” Bucky grumbled, words slurred with lethargy.

Antoni grinned and kissed him, long and slow and deep. It would be a mutual destruction.

He broke the kiss, hissing with sensitivity, as Bucky pulled out, erection fading now that he was spent. Bucky shushed him, easing him to the side to lay on the bed itself and wiping his tears with a gentle thumb.

“I know. Sorry. Right after is always a little tender. You okay?”

Antoni nodded, kissing Bucky’s thumb gently before bathing it with his tongue, licking away his own tears. Bucky had to bite his lip while watching.

“That was incredible,” Antoni admitted finally. Then, a bit of insecurity entering his tone, “Did you mean it? That it’s not always that way?”

Fingers found their way into his hair, stroking soothingly.

“I love sex,” Bucky told him seriously, “and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it is never like that. I don’t… I have no idea what that was, sweetheart.”

Maybe that should have been alarming, but Antoni couldn’t seem to dredge up any worry. Instead, a teasing smile quirked his lips.

“Maybe we should try again. You know, get a wider sample range.”

Bucky let out a bark of surprised laughter.

“Tonight is the day I die,” he professed, with far too much glee in his voice, “but what a way to go.”

“Don’t you dare,” Antoni mock threatened. “I’m not going to be done with you after just one night.”

“Whatever you want, doll. Absolutely anything.”

.

Antoni awoke with a low groan, feeling warm and heavy and _sore_.

He felt like he’d been hit by a truck. Grumbling quietly, he cuddled back into the source of warmth behind him, pressed all along his back. The arms encircling him squeezed him tighter and a kiss was pressed to his shoulder.

“Morning, doll. How’d you sleep?” Bucky’s husky tones asked.

Antoni sighed happily, content to keep his eyes closed and not move until he absolutely couldn’t avoid it. The two of them had had a quite _vigorous_ night, complete with several more rounds of incredible sex. Antoni had even been able to give Bucky that blowjob he’d wanted to.

“Good,” he mumbled into the pillow. “You wore me _out_.”

Bucky chuckled.

“I could tell. I’m just glad my windows don’t face the sunrise so you could sleep a little longer.”

Antoni’s eyes flew open as he rocketed up, breaking out of Bucky’s embrace and wincing as sitting put pressure of several very sore areas. He didn’t have time for that right now.

“What time is it?” he demanded before Bucky even had a chance to ask him what was wrong.

He twisted around, looking for an alarm clock or something to tell him, while Bucky fumbled his way out of bed to search the floor for his pants and fish his phone out.

“Just before nine.”

Antoni cursed loudly and colorfully.

“I am _so_ late. I was supposed to be meeting Obadiah for breakfast at 8:30! Per favore, non lasciare che Jarvis abbia chiamato mia madre. There’s no way Happy doesn’t know I’m not in my room anymore.”

Bucky’s brow furrowed.

“Obadiah? Your dad’s old business partner? Okay, so it’s a little rude to miss the appointment, but we can call him. Come on, let’s find your phone. Who’s Happy?”

Antoni was already halfway across the room, throwing aside clothes and the remains of the set of sheets that _had_ been on the bed last night but they’d had to chance before they could sleep on it. He finally tracked down his jacket in the hallway, finding his phone in the pocket and frantically pressing at the keys. The screen remained dark.

“No, no, no, no! Come on!”

Bucky was starting to look alarmed and worried now, but not _nearly_ as alarmed and worried as he should have been.

“You can borrow my charger,” he offered. “Tony, what’s going on? Do you know the number? You can use mine in the meantime.”

Even as he asked it, he snagged the phone from Antoni’s fingers, replacing it with his own unlocked phone, and went to plug it in. But of course Antoni didn’t know Obadiah’s number. Nobody knew numbers anymore. Still he did know one number – one that he was required to memorize since childhood in case of emergencies. Feeling a sense of all-encompassing dread, he typed in the digits.

The phone only rang once before picking up.

“Who is this? If this is a ransom demand-“

“Happy! It’s me! I’m okay! I just-“

“Antoni!” The relief in his tone was gratifying, but it evaporated immediately into scolding in angry Italian. “Where the hell are you?! You weren’t in your room this morning when Jarvis came to get you ready for breakfast and no one had seen you leave. We’ve already contacted the local authorities and begun coordinating a search. The hotel is attempting to contact every employee who was here last night so we can get statements and Mr. Stane showed up as soon as we contacted him and has been here ever since. We’ve been worried sick about you!”

Antoni winced. There was really no way this conversation was going to go well. And he really needed to remember to give that bellboy a bigger tip. He didn’t deserve the kind of stress he was probably under right now.

“I’m sorry,” he answered, also in Italian, giving Bucky an apologetic look since it pretty much cut him off from having any idea what was going on. “I meant to be back. I… left last night and I never intended to be gone more than a couple hours, but I just wanted to see at least a bit of New York while I was here and then I met this guy-“

“You what? What guy? Antoni, tell me you did not-“

And then the phone cut off as Bucky’s phone died, too, finally having reached the end of its battery. Antoni hung his head. He was in _so much trouble_.

“So, that,” Bucky began, sounding hesitant and frowning deeply, “didn’t sound good.”

Antoni looked up, for the first time realizing just how concerned Bucky seemed. Ignoring his protesting muscles, Antoni hauled himself to his feet. He had some explaining to do.

“That was Happy,” he started, even though that should have been fairly obvious since he’d started the conversation off by yelling Happy’s name. “He’s the… head of my security team.”

Justifiably, that didn’t seem to make Bucky any less confused.

“…Right. And you have a security team because…? Your family business?”

Antoni took a deep breath, steeling himself.

“I’m going to tell you something that’s going to sound crazy, but I promise you it’s true. I may have stretched the truth a little last night, but I never lied.”

Sometime like wariness had entered Bucky’s eyes now, and Antoni hated seeing it there, seeing it directed at _him_.

“Okay…”

Well, it was now or never. Time to take the plunge. It was a leap of faith.

“I’m not Italian,” he began with, figuring he’d start with the easier facts and work his way up from there. “I just sailed here from there. I’m actually from the small island nation of Ferronia, just off its coast.”

“You _sailed_ here?”

“Yes, but that’s not the point. The point is, my name _is_ Tony, but nobody ever calls me that.”

“What do people call you?”

Straightening his back despite the ache and drawing himself up to his full height, he attempted to project as much confidence and regality as one could while butt naked in someone else’s apartment after having had that person’s dick up his ass the night before.

“They call me Antoni Edoardo Stark Carbonell, Crowned Prince of Ferronia and, thus, heir to the throne.”

Bucky stared at him for a long moment.

“You’re a prince.”

His tone didn’t give anything away, and Antoni could feel the panic welling up within him.

“In a few more months, I’ll be King,” he confessed. “My mother has decided she’s ready to step down, so I’ll be taking over with her in an advisor role. That’s why I have a security detail, and why I came to New York now. I’d never be able to do this after I took the throne.”

Bucky nodded slowly.

“So, when you weren’t there this morning, your security probably thought you’d been kidnapped.”

Antoni winced.

“That is exactly what they thought, actually, which is why it was so important for me to get in touch with them.”

Bucky looked off to the side, eyeing the wall from beneath a furrowed brow. He was silent for a long moment before nodding decidedly.

“Alright, then. I imagine you should be getting back, then. I’ll give you a ride.”

Antoni’s heart soared.

“You believe me, then?”

Bucky shrugged, but there was a smile starting to creep across his face.

“It seems an odd lie to tell. And, I figure, a pretty easy one to prove or disprove. Either your security detail will be waiting for you at your hotel, or they won’t. And I can always google you once my phone is charged back up.”

Antoni beamed at him, all but throwing himself into Bucky’s arms and stealing another kiss.

“Thank you for believing me. I promise it’s the truth.”

Bucky kissed him back easily, wrapping his arms around Antoni’s waist to hold him close.

“How about you buy me breakfast?” he suggested. “After all this with your kidnapping gets sorted out. You’re royalty. You can afford breakfast, right?”

Antoni laughed.

“Breakfast,” he agreed. “I owe you for the drinks last night, anyway. How crowded do you think the subway is going to be at this hour?”

Bucky let him go, stepping over to the room’s dresser and pulling out some fresh clothes.

“Subway nothing! I take it to work because it’s easier, but I meant it when I said I’d give you a ride. We can take my bike.”

Antoni wrinkled his nose, turning to search for his own clothes.

“Just as long as you don’t expect me to pedal.”

“Oh, doll, don’t worry,” Bucky drawled. “It’s got a motor.”

.

Antoni was pleased to find that, when Bucky said bike, he actually meant a motorcycle. It was a gorgeous thing, nearly as gorgeous as its owner, and Antoni cooed over its black and chrome frame as Bucky wheeled it out of the shed behind the apartment building. There was something familiar about it, and Antoni wondered briefly if he happened to have the model in one of his collections. It could be so hard to keep track of sometimes. Bucky beamed with pride.

“She’s my baby,” he confided. “I had to save up forever to get her. Soon as my best friend Stevie gets his next leave from the military, we’re gonna go on a cross-country road trip. His is the other bike stuffed in that God forsaken shed I pay way too much for.” He rolled his eyes. “That’s New York for you.”

“I could pay for it for you,” Antoni offered without even thinking about it. “I mean, I could get you a whole new apartment, one with an elevator that _works_. Or a house, if you prefer.”

Bucky was giving him another unreadable look.

“Ton- Sorry, Antoni-“

“I like it when you call me Tony.”

“Tony, you can’t do that. You barely _know_ me.”

Antoni glanced down, shuffling his feet and avoiding Bucky’s gaze. He’d thought… Last night they’d said…

“I’d like to know you. I don’t… I don’t want this to be…”

He couldn’t bring himself to say ‘the end.’

Bucky stepped around his motorcycle to pull him into a tight hug, almost desperate in his clinging.

“I do, too,” he assured. “It doesn’t matter to me if you’re royalty or not, doll, that was one of the most incredible nights of my life and I feel like there’s something going on between us that I can’t explain.”

“But?” Antoni asked, face buried in Bucky’s neck, hugging back just a desperately.

“…But,” Bucky continued reluctantly, “you said yourself that you won’t be able to visit once you take the throne. How are we supposed to make anything work if we can’t see each other?”

“Long-distance relationships are a thing! And, I don’t know, I’ll talk to my mom and my staff about it. We’ll work something out. You _said_ we could work something out.”

“I said that when I thought we were talking about working around some business meetings during the day!”

Antoni pulled back, hurt, tears stinging his eyes unbidden.

“So, you don’t even want to try?”

Bucky’s unreadable expression cracked, his entire frame sagging.

“Sugar, I want to try so bad that it _terrifies_ me.”

Antoni nearly sobbed with relief, coming closer again for a kiss.

“I can work with that.”

“Okay, okay,” Bucky gave in. “We’ll work on it. Long-distance. Whatever it takes. We can talk about it over breakfast.”

Antoni hummed with agreement and they kissed a while longer before reluctantly pulling apart.

“Right,” Bucky said, dazed. “We need helmets. Helmets are a thing.”

He ducked back into the shed, Antoni smiling after him. He reappeared moments later with two helmets, one silver and one blue, each with a red star on the sides. He held the blue one out towards Antoni.

“Here, you can wear Stevie’s. I’m afraid we don’t have a spare other than that.”

“I’m sure I’ll live.”

“Do you want gloves? The wind once we get going can be killer, especially when it’s already this cold.”

“Yeah, sure. Sounds good. If you have an extra pair.”

Bucky produced those, too, a moment later, holding out a pair of silver, leather gloves toward him.

Antoni froze, staring. Bucky frowned at him.

“What’s up?”

Gaze flickering between the gloves and the motorcycle, Antoni swallowed several times before he could find his voice again.

“By any chance do you ride on the docks with this thing?” he asked mildly.

Bucky gave him an odd look, clearly confused.

“Uh, yeah? One of our liquor suppliers does pickups there. It’s only ever a crate or so, so I take the bike and strap ‘em to the back. It’s easier than trying to lug ‘em through the subway and it’d be a waste to rent a car just for that. Why?”

Antoni punch him in the arm.

“You asshole!”

“What? Tony-“

“You weren’t wearing a helmet! Were you trying to get yourself killed? _Porco cane!_ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to leave a comment to show your love!
> 
> What Tony says while searching for his phone - "Please, dear God, don't let Jarvis have told my mom!"


End file.
